Hello healers. I’m Sybil Cummin, MA, LPC, ACS, and the creator of Beyond Power and Control. I run a successful private practice in Arvada, Colorado specializing in working with victims and survivors of domestic violence and children and teens who have been affected by violence in the home. I never expected that this is where the universe would lead me; finding a passion for working with domestic violence and a passion for training other clinicians to work with this population. I believed that I would be a child and family therapist, working mostly with children on every day issues; children experiencing struggles with anxiety and depression, poor school performance, and struggles engaging with peers. I inherently knew that I would work with children who had experienced divorce or, on occasion, that I would run into children who had experienced child abuse and neglect. I had no idea that so many of the children and families that I would work with would be living trapped in a world of violence within their own homes. As a young clinician working in hospital and agency settings and now in my own practice, I continue to see the devastation that domestic violence and coercive control has on all members of a family.
Since 1 in 3 women and 1 in 9 men* will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, I expect that you will also have clients that fit this population. Sadly, there is not much training or education provided on this issue in graduate counseling programs. I initially felt very nervous and incompetent when working with families experiencing violence as a means of power and control in the home. My supervisors did not have enough training themselves to guide me. I did a lot of reading and searching to get enough education to feel truly skilled and confident with this population. My goal for Beyond Power and Control is to help fill that gap and help you feel confident when you are working with clients affected by domestic violence. Whether you want to specialize in working with this population or not, you will most likely work with someone who has been affected.
Thank you for your willingness to continue your learning to provide the best care for these clients and a safe place for them to heal! rs for Disease Control and Prevention
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